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Tomorrow's luminous design idiom is being created today, in the Design Centre in Sindelfingen - in the office of Stefan Handt, to be precise. Asked about the importance of headlamp design at Mercedes-Benz, he replies without hesitation: "A well-designed headlamp will have a particular expression all of its own. It needs to stand out. But I also believe it can't be allowed to be more important than the rest of the car."

The designer and manager of the Exterior Design - Lights & Parts team develops new lighting concepts together with his team and will manage a concept from the initial idea all the way through to its implementation. The symbiosis between engineering and design is becoming ever more pronounced.

The headlamps and tail lamps designed by the designers for Mercedes-Benz are an important part of the expression that characterises the front end of the car. It ensures the car has an appearance in keeping with the brand and, in addition, highlights the character of the vehicle - over and above the technical innovations. "Every car manufacturer can come up with good headlamps by now," explains Handt.

"That's why we want to go a step further, and create something that excites people even more." The fact that LED lights have a practically unlimited product life, produce a colour that's close to daylight and use very little energy, all speaks in their favour. But LED technology should also come through in the design and really highlight what it can do."

The eyes of a predator.

The headlamps of the Concept Style Coupé bring together impressive design with the very latest technologies: The pupils of the front headlamps make this one-off vehicle look as if it is ready to pounce. Just like the watchful, respect-inspiring eyes of a predator, they have a red glow in stand-by mode. The indicators are really something different: individual light points light up in sequence, just like on a keyboard, creating a very special effect.

Some lettering on the headlamp makes it very clear where the eyes of the Concept Style Coupé originate from; the adjustable slats allude to the complexity of this design which is so clearly also influenced by engineering.

From inspiration to series production.

As the Concept Style Coupé is a one-off design vehicle, there has clearly been a lot of leeway allowed with regard to its design. Stefan Handt has been happy to draw his inspiration from science fiction films and from motorsport engineering.But the lights design of the series production vehicle which is due to be launched soon will also emphasise the character of the car and reflect the high standards of quality in the details too in a striking manner. For the 45-year-old designer there are clear, and challenging, rules of design: "The rule-breaker is the rule-maker. It's our job as designers to know what the limits are and to push them out a little further." The next project meeting awaits - and the future of lighting design is waiting to be shaped. But not for long: Stefan Handt will soon be talking about his passion for lighting design again.